Tut_5_8-Engineer and Society Module VIII.ppt

7/29/2019 Tut_5_8-Engineer and Society Module VIII.ppt

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Professional AsManager, Consultant

And LeaderEngineering and Society


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At the end of this module, youshould be able to

Understand engineers roles as manager

Identify professional responsibilities asconsultant

Discuss the roles of engineer as advisorand expert witness

Understand the social obligation ofprofessional engineers as ethical leaders inthe society


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MANAGERS

Primary function is to direct activities ofthe organization

Are custodians /guardian or caretaker

of the organizationConcerned with present and future

well-being of the organization

- economic terms

- public image

- employee morale


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Engineers as Managers

Engineers often rise tomanagement positions usuallysupervising other engineers as part of

career advancementManagerial positions offer higher

incentives, responsibilities,accountabilities and power

Managers are more highly regardedcompared to engineers


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The change of job scope requires a lotof adjustment.

Engineers must equip themselves

with managerial skills such as financeand leadership.

As engineers climb up the careerladder, technical skills become lessimportantwhile interpersonal skillsbecome more important


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DECISIONS

In engineering, as well as otheractivities, there is a distinction betweenthe types of decisions to be made.

* proper engineering decision(PED)

* proper management

decision (PMD)


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PROPER ENGINEERINGDECISION

A decision that should be made byengineers or governed by engineeringprinciples:

* involves technical matters requiringengineering expertise

* falls within the ethical standardsembodied in the engineering codes


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PROPER MANAGEMENTDECISION

A decision that should be made bymanagers or governed by managementconsiderations:

* involves factors relating to the

well-being of the organization

* does not force engineersto make

unacceptable compromises withtheir technical practices or

ethical standards


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Two major responsibilitiesof engineer-manager are asfollows; Creating an ethical climate

Managing conflict


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Creating an Ethical Environment

To create an ethical environment, there arefour criteria to be fulfilled; Ethical values in their full complexity are widely

acknowledged and appreciated by managers andemployees alike.

The sincere use of ethical language has to berecognized as a legitimate part ofcorporate dialogue.

The top level management must establish a moral tonein words, in policies, by personal example etc.

The management has to establish some procedures forresolving conflicts.


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Conflict Management

Unresolved and unmanageable conflict inorganization will reduce productivity andeffectiveness.

Manager need to resolve and stopconflict from affecting the organizationalperformance.


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Conflict Management

What are the important forms of Conflicts?

Conflicts based on schedules

Conflicts which arises in evolving the importance of

projects and the department. Conflicts based on the availability of personalfor a

project.

Conflicts over technical matters.

Conflicts arise due to administrative procedure. Conflicts ofpersonality.

Conflicts over cost or expenditure or money


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Conflict Management

The Principles of ConflictsManagement

Separate people from the problem.Focus on interest and not on positions.Generate a variety of possibilities before

deciding what to do.Insist that the result be based on someobjective standard.


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Engineers as Manager

Normative models to be used to avoidconflicts Hired Gunsemphasis on the obligation to

client, obligation to the society is limited to theminimum requirement.

Value-neutral Analystsassessing thesituation objectively, without taking into accountof both types of obligations. The main obligation

is to assess all alternatives and their implications Value-guided Advocatesemphasis on

values. These values are honesty, competence,diligence and loyalty


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Engineers as Moral Leaders

It is the responsibilities of all professionalto become moral leaders

The aim is for the professional to lead a

group based on an accepted moral andethical values

Moral leaders need to identify important

values and apply them when the needarisesand built up the followerscommitment to the values.


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Engineers as Moral Leaders

Joining a professional body is also partof manifestation of moral leadershipespecially when there is active

involvement.

Engineers can also become thecommunity leader part of social

obligation


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Engineers as Expert Witness

Engineers increasingly are asked to serve asconsultants who provide expert testimony incourts

Usually engineers are hired by one adversary(opponent) in the dispute and that raises specialethical concern about their proper roles.

Should they function as impartial seekers andcommunicator of truth or do they essentiallybecome hired gun?


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Engineers as expert witness have theseobligations To represent their qualification accurately

To perform thorough investigation To present a professional

demeanor/behavior

To protect confidentiality cannot indulgethe contents of their investigations to theopposing side of controversy until required todo so by courts


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Engineers as expert witness have theseobligations

Engineers as expert witnesses are not

required to volunteer evidence favorable tothe other side

Must answer truthfully but it remains the

responsibility of the attorney for the opposingside to ask.


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While performing duties as expertwitnesses, engineers are susceptible tothe following biases

Money biases high payment Ego biases past accomplishments

Sympathy biases compelling drama

Therefore, engineers must maintaintheir integrity when serving as expertwitness


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Engineers as Advisors

In policy-making, public officials and thegeneral public had objective studies aboutcosts and benefits of alternative

systems of transportation, housing, andenergy use.

In planning, they need expert adviseabout the feasibility, risks andbenefits of particular technologicalprojects


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Engineers as Advisors in Policy-Making

Therefore, engineers should notinfluence by political factors orpersonal interests

The responsibilities towards the publictake precedenceover other type ofresponsibilties


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Engineers as Consultant

Consultant engineers work in privatepractices

They are compensated by fees for servicesthey render/provide no by salaries from

employers Because of this, they tend to have greater

freedom to make decisionsabout what projectsthey undertake.

Nonetheless, their freedom is not absolute/total:They shared with salaried engineers the need toearn a living


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Engineers as Consultant

There are three areas where engineers asconsultants need to be aware of

Advertising

Competitive bidding

Contingency fees


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Engineers as Consultants

Consultant engineers are directly responsible foradvertising of their services even when they hireconsultant to help them.Advertising becomesan issue become of these natures

By outright lies. By half-truths. Through exaggeration. By making false innuendos/hints, suggestions or

implications.

Through confusion created by ambiguity, vaguenessor incoherence.

Through subliminal/subconscious manipulation of theunconscious.


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Competitive bidding for professional engineeringservices is defined as the formal or informalsubmission, or receipt, of verbal or written estimatesof cost orproposals in terms of dollars, man-days of

work requi red, percentage of construction cost, orany other measure of compensationwhereby theprospective client may compare engineering serviceson a price basis prior to the time that one engineer, orone engineering organization, has been selected for

negotiations


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An Engineer requested to submit a fee proposalor bid prior to the selection of an engineer orfirm subject to the negotiation of a satisfactorycontract, shall attempt to have the procedure

changed to conform to ethical practices, but ifnot successful he shall withdraw fromconsideration for the proposed work. Theseprinciples shall be applied by the Engineer inobtaining the services of other professionals


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Contingency fees is a fee paid based on theprojects the engineers successfully market.

The greater amount of job freedom enjoyed by

consultant engineers lead to wider areas ofresponsible decision making concerning safety

Design-Only project where consultantengineers contract to design something but

not to have any role in its constructionpose significant ethical issues especially ifit concerns the safety of the public

Documents

Tut_5_8-Engineer and Society Module VIII.ppt